There are many people who require mobility aids. While large motorized scooters can be used for everyday use, they are not suitable for users who wish to transport them to different locations, or to store them in a small space. Smaller collapsible scooters have been developed to meet the needs of these people, but they suffer from many deficiencies, some which make them dangerous for the user.
One such device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,207,407. It is directed to a collapsible three wheeled vehicle for personal transportation which has a removable support bracket that secures the distal ends of two independent foldable side rails at either end of the support bracket. The support bracket also provides a mounting base for a passenger seat. The rear support bracket, when removed, allows the side rails to fold together with the steering column for convenient storage. A removable front wheel, a removable seat, and removable steering handles allow the vehicle to further reduce the required amount of space for storage and transport. The vehicle uses a battery operated electric drive motor. A second optional battery power supply may be attached to the vehicle to extend its range. A storage bag is provided to hold the components of the vehicle when not in use. This scooter has many deficiencies, including poor stability, difficult to use locking mechanisms, a relatively large size even when collapsed, drive mechanism that is subject to wear, breakage, slipping and clogging and a need to be dismantled into parts in order to be collapsed.
Since U.S. Pat. No. 7,207,407 was filed, a family of patents directed to components for collapsible a motorized scooter was filed. U.S. Pat. No. 8,381,858 is directed to a handlebar folding mechanism and foldable motorized vehicle having same, U.S. Pat. No. 8,388,006 is directed to a motorized vehicle with foldable frame and locking mechanism, U.S. Pat. No. 8,388,014 is directed to a foldable motorized vehicle with frame connecting and frame locking mechanisms, U.S. Pat. No. 8,978,806 is directed to a telescopic frame, U.S. Pat. No. 8,746,730 is directed to a foldable frame for foldable motorized vehicle, and U.S. Pat. No. 8,413,753 is directed to a foldable seat mounting rack and foldable motorized vehicle having same. While these patents address approaches to fold a scooter, many use push pin locks, which are extremely difficult for many people to use. Further, they do not address the lack of stability that these scooters are known for.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,967,095 discloses a powered vehicle that has a rear frame assembly and a front frame assembly that are pivotally attached to one another, and can be pivoted from a normal fully-extended operating position to a folded position in which the frame assemblies are positioned substantially adjacent to one another, effectively reducing overall vehicle length to about half. One or more latch members lock the front and rear frame assemblies in the fully-extended, normal operating position, and they may be used to lock the frame assemblies in the folded position. The seat support structure may be integrated with the front and rear frame assemblies such that pivoting the frame assemblies toward the folded position collapses the seat support. The steering tiller may also be collapsible toward the front frame assembly. The rear wheels may be mounted on a transaxle that is pivotally mounted on the rear frame assembly. An extendable handle may be provided to assist in the folding operation and to tow the collapsed vehicle on its anti-tip rollers. While this device can be collapsed, it is still bulky. The frames are welded together, minimizing the amount that the device can be collapsed It has no braking system, nor does it have a speed controller, hence cannot be used without supervision.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,714,292 discloses a motorized wheeled chair assembly that facilitates movement by a person while seated on a chair. The assembly includes a frame and a plurality of wheels coupled to the frame. A seat and a motor are coupled to the frame. The motor is operationally coupled to one of the wheels defining a motorized wheel wherein the motor rotates the motorized wheel. A handle is coupled to the frame by an arm having a first end coupled to the handle and a second end removably coupled to the frame. A motor control is coupled to the handle and operationally coupled to the motor. As disclosed, this scooter would only be suitable for indoor use. The motor drives one of what appears to be one of four rear wheels. It has an exposed motor, exposed wiring and a belt drive. There is no braking system.
What is needed is a collapsible scooter that can be easily collapsed without dismantling it. It would be preferable if it was stable on a range of terrains. It would be of further advantage if the drive mechanism was protected from the ambient environment. It would be of further advantage if the drive mechanism was centred, to further increase stability and driveability. It would be of further advantage if the braking mechanism was suitable for stopping movement when ridden by a large person. It would be of further advantage if the collapsible scooter were robust yet light, allowing for easy storage and transport.